Police mace the hell out of peaceful OWS protesters

[trevor0323]

In all honesty this is just pure stupidity and laziness on the polices part. Most police I run into could stand to lose at least 50lbs. I say a good way to get some exercise on the job would be to drag these protestors out if they were indeed trespassing. In the cases where there in parks drag them out also and clean the park.

I also could give two craps about occupy, but i am sick of seeing lazy cops use there fancy non lethal tools to get the job done when they know without a doubt how it will be portrayed in the media.

 

[zanejohnson]

folks, we are seeing history in the making... this is insanity...

it's starting to look very, very Tienanmen squarish


i can't quit watching videos, and reading about these situations, and situations in the past that looked like this. it's not good people. we are a country divided, we are a country that has let our worst fears, meet us halfway. Terrorism, or the lack there of, and the way our own government has used this against us, and the war on drugs, which is fueling the cartels in mexico... i mean OUR OWN GUNS ARE NOW IN THERE HANDS. because we irrationally feared these things... these fabrications....

i fear what comes next.

 

[zanejohnson]

When Hitler was elected.... it was very simalar.

 

[timosyy]

I really wish all this activism could actually be channeled toward something useful.

People like to compare OWS to the Tea Party... "Occupy" has a much higher approval rating across American than the Tea Party, and FAR more members/participants/activists, and yet-- Tea Party is the one actually influencing elections and legislation. You have to wonder which is actually the more effective movement.

This is probably my biggest criticism of all the "Occupy" stuff. As a liberal (really, moderate, but whatever), I support their right to protest, and I think a healthy dose of expressed discontent is good for the country... but it's not actually doing much.

 

[cubby1223]

Okay, uhhh, the point I see is, the youtube video is *very* brief, and chopped up. There is always more to the story, and the shortness of the video raises suspicions in my eyes.

 

[Zebo]

Sprays are a pretty low risk method to force compliance. Maybe we should be beating the fuck out of them with sticks instead of using very much non lethal methods?

Its fucking simple.

1) Ask
2) Tell
3) Make

The hippies like to stand around and act tough till they win the prize, then its "Those evil fucking pigs!" and lots o' hugs and tears.

Right. How about not acting like a douchnozzle and just follow the instructions and not act surprised when you get a money shot when you dont follow instructions.

Yeah real tough to beat on unarmed kids. We saw a glimpse in katrina where retirement was more important than law and order when they were really needed.

Not that they are going to get retirements anyway, but they think they are, and that's enough to tuck tail when shit hits the fan.

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[Broheim]

There was no need for the Pepper Spray. They were sitting there, easily situated for simply dragging away. Cops have become increasingly Lazy and increasingly Brutal at the same time with these "Non-Lethal" tools.

look at it this way, you're a scrawny little hipster college student and I'm a big strong police officer, I have to remove you and I have two options, use physical force or use pepperspray.

physical force: I may seriously injure you, I can easily dislocate your shoulder or break a couple of your fingers as I'm trying to seperate you from the other protesters, if I have to carry you away I run the risk of dropping you and causing a head injury, I may have to physically restrain you if you decide to fight back and this can cause a wide variety of injuries including death. this is just a few examples of what can go wrong.

pepperspray: you'll experience some discomfort for a short amount of time, and that's it, it'll either go away on its own or faster if you have your eyes rinsed. I can then remove you with the minimum amount of force and offer you some saline solution to rinse you eyes with if I'm feeling nice/you behave.

so which one would you rather have? permanent physical injury or short term discomfort?

 

[Printer Bandit]

did the cops have paintball guns?

 

[foghorn67]

Because OWS is a threat to the wealthy, which is who our government serves. The Tea Party is not (plus they were easily infiltrated and corrupted by rightwing moneyed interests).

That's actually how it is throughout the world. I was just thinking about the G20 Toronto protests when the police were beating people up, infiltrating protest groups to instigate violence, and locking up a LOT of people who didn't even have anything to do with the protests. Contrast that when Vancouver lost the Stanley cup and the police pretty did squat while vancouverites were destroying their city over a fucking hockey game.

No, you partisan moron. The Tea Party blocking traffic and resisting arrest? Yeah, that's what I thought.

 

[Zebo]

No, you partisan moron. The Tea Party blocking traffic and resisting arrest? Yeah, that's what I thought.

Who cares if they are blocking traffic. The president shuts down whole towns/freeways for his political fund raisers. That's all this is is politics - the underlying purpose and intent is political speech. Sure it creates a disruption and that disruption is intentional but that does not mean it's not protected. They shouldnt be arrested in the first place but you shouldn't resist I agree.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Blocking traffic should be punishable by vehicular manslaughter under all circumstances.

 

[shortylickens]

Blocking traffic should be punishable by vehicular manslaughter under all circumstances.

I have never seen a person so in need of a hug as you.

 

[yhelothar]

God damn those fucking dumbass idiot hippies... always trying to be anti-capitalist by protesting against bankers that are just doing their job. Sure they may have been overly greedy and fucked over the economy because of it, and if they have the money to buy off politicians so that they can get bailed out when they fuck everyone over, that's what America is about. That's the kind of power you get when you're not a lazy hippy. It's their own god damn fault those lazy hippies let themselves get screwed over.

Every single last one of them ought to get maced until their eyes burn out.

AMERICA! FUCK YEAH!

 

[yhelothar]

Also, it's well known that Obama would support the use violence on peaceful demonstrators.

He spoke out against it in Egypt. You would have to be a moron to not know he's perpetually living opposite day.

 

[Zebo]

Obama is a yes man. The Point has been brought up numerous times, about the lack of support for other things that enjoyed huge popularity he shoves under the bus. Single payer, law and order on Wall Street, etc.

 

[dmcowen674]

Thread title doesn't reference that this was University Police.

University police are not accountable in the U.S.

 

[dwell]

Should have used a hose and soap. I could smell those hippies over YouTube.

 

[yhelothar]

Should have used a hose and soap. I could smell those hippies over YouTube.

Fuck it... just go Tienanmen Square on them. That'll show em not to fuck with America's elite!

 

[tboo]

Should have used a hose and soap. I could smell those hippies over YouTube.

lol

 

[Bignate603]

Also, it's well known that Obama would support the use violence on peaceful demonstrators.

He spoke out against it in Egypt. You would have to be a moron to not know he's perpetually living opposite day.

The right to peacefully assemble does not mean that they have the right to peacefully assemble where ever they want. There is a very big difference. If these people assembled in places where they were not disrupting the rights of other people they would not have been forced to leave.

 

[qliveur]

it's starting to look very, very Tienanmen squarish

Yeah, minus the tanks, AKs, mass shootings and shit.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Peacefully disturbing the peace?

 

[rh71]

lol F* THE POLICE...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6GMmpgrAlE

yeah these protestors are angels.

 

[MotionMan]

People seem to forget that you may have rights, but your rights are not unfettered. You may not exercise your right to free speech to yell "fire!" in a crowded theater and you may not use your right to peacefully assemble to block the personal and property rights of others.

The fact that the occupiers were allowed to stay in certain places so long was evidence that the governments showed extreme restraint.

BTW, public property does not mean it is your property. Access to public property can be limited. Doubt it? Try to walk into the White House without permission.

MotionMan

 

[Paladin3]

ATOT POSTERS: When is it OK to use pepper spray?

Pepper spray is warranted whenever someone refuses to comply with an order from law enforcement. Even if you feel the order is unlawful, you comply with the order and fight it later.

The last thing cops want is to escalate the contact to a physical struggle that can lead to one or both parties being injured. Using pepper spray causes non-lethal pain and temporary disables the subject so they can be taken into custody or disbursed as safely as possible.

If you are going to protest, and refuse to comply with orders from law enforcement, expect to taste some pepper spray. The alternative compliance hold the officer will have to use to physically move the subject will probably hurt a lot more.

Also, none of these protesters were forced to leave or arrested for what they were saying. NOBODY HAD THEIR FREE SPEECH RIGHTS TAKEN AWAY. THEY WERE REMOVED FOR TRESPASSING, NOT BECAUSE OF THEIR MESSAGE. Nobody can camp out in a public park. Your free speech rights don't include the right to exercise them wherever you want at the expense of others.